The 2004 Botswana AIDS Impact Survey has documented the scale of the AIDS pandemic in the country. Contrary to widespread belief and reference, the HIV prevalence rate in Botswana is not close to 40 percent, but now stands at 17.3 percent. Most reports refer to HIV surveys of pregnant women, the Batswana government exp
The promise of Cuban President Fidel Castro of sending 100 medical aid workers to Botswana has now been fulfilled, according to the Batswana presidency. The Cuban health workers, who are controversial in other parts of Southern Africa, are to play an important role in Botswana s war against HIV/AIDS . According to
During this year s marking of the World AIDS Day in Botswana , the vulnerability of girls and women was given special attention. Gender inequality contributes to the high infection rates among Batswana women, given the persistent widespread problem of domestic violence, rape and other forms of sexual abuse. The the
A new study by the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa (HSRC) reveals that the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the elderly has been hugely underrated. The disease has placed a heavy burden on older people, on top of economic hardships, such as high youth unemployment, the study found. 60 percent of orph
A new report has found that AIDS rates in Uganda s war-ravaged northern region are skyrocketing as a result of the 18-year civil war. The prevalence of the deadly virus in the war zone is found to be nearly double the rest of the country. While Uganda has been cited as an AIDS success story, its protracted civil war th
Lutheran theologians from all over Western Africa in an Abuja seminar agreed that African women need to break the taboos of talking about sex in order to stop the AIDS pandemic from spreading further. The relatively liberal Christian minority church emphasises on empowering women to take greater control of their sexual
The governments of Lesotho and Swaziland have announced that new medical centres focused on caring for children with HIV/AIDS will be built in Maseru, Lesotho and Mbabane, Swaziland. The new paediatric clinics are to be funded by a Texan pharmaceutical company and will also be used for training national health care pro
Following the South African government s medicines pricing regulations, introduced earlier this year, drug companies have increased the prices of AIDS medicines by up to 40 percent on the private market. Organisations trying to fight the pandemic are frustrated by the price hike, urging companies to stop further limiti
A new report accuses the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank of undermining the fight against AIDS in Africa through their rigid financial policy recipes that are to fight inflation. The government of Uganda nearly rejected a US$ 52 million donation to fight AIDS in order to please the IMF, the report
Countries across southern Africa are showing they have the determination necessary to win the battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, according to the UN s AIDS envoy. In particular Uganda and Lesotho were praised for a remarkable dedication to remove all possible obstacles to the fight against the disease.
Gays and lesbians in Ghana are taking new steps to be decriminalised. In an appeal to government, their association says that they will boycott the December polls if no party supports their quest. Currently, colonial British criminal law criminalizes same-sex relations and regulations also make treatment of sexually tr
The consumption of bushmeat, especially from great apes, is currently causing the breeding of new HIV virus strains among humans, scientists have found. In Cameroon , people are now showing up with symptoms of HIV, but are testing negative for both the virus and its primate equivalent SIV. This warning is reported
The consumption of bushmeat, especially from great apes, is currently causing the breeding of new HIV virus strains among humans, scientists have found. In Cameroon , people are now showing up with symptoms of HIV, but are testing negative for both the virus and its primate equivalent SIV. This warning is reported
Efforts by the government of Benin to stem the rising incidence of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections have been strengthened by African financing. Benin plans to reduce or at least help to stabilise the rate of prevalence of AIDS within short time. In Benin, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has for some years slowly bee
Efforts by the government of Benin to stem the rising incidence of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections have been strengthened by African financing. Benin plans to reduce or at least help to stabilise the rate of prevalence of AIDS within short time. In Benin, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has for some years slowly bee
Anglican Church leaders are heading to Swaziland to study how they better can help the largely abandoned Swazi people managing their current food and AIDS crisis. As international donors shy away from the small authoritarian Kingdom, the Church seeks new ways of reaching the victimised population. The Archbishop of
A second agreement by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to allow generic AIDS drugs in South Africa has been met with little enthusiasm. GSK already has a South Africa generic AIDS drug deal that has failed to produce one pill, comment AIDS activists. The Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
South Africa s Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang today unveiled a new brand of the government s free condoms with increased sex appeal. The colourful condoms are freely distributed in a government effort to halt the HIV/AIDS pandemic. While the youth is the campaign s major target, it is also hoped women will ge
The UN envoy on AIDS in Africa today supported Zambian authorities in its pledge to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ease draconic economic reform requirements. The IMF needed to be more flexible to allow Zambia to concentrate its efforts on fighting the spreading AIDS pandemic, the UN representative held. Foll
A new and approved vaccine, which dramatically slows many of the autoimmune diseases produced by AIDS, is to be distributed throughout Africa, starting in Nigeria . The vaccine, which is not an AIDS cure, comes at a far lower price than conventional antiretroviral medicines, the US producer of Lumoer announces. Glo
Two months after several UN agencies appealed for US 5.8 million to fund their emergency operations in Namibia , not one single donation has been made. The growing HIV/AIDS infection rate in Namibia, one of Africa s richest countries, is termed one of the world s forgotten crises. While Namibia may be rich by Afri
The 1994 Rwanda genocide continues to kill silently, ten years after the slaughter. Today, thousands of women and girls are living through the nightmare of HIV/AIDS after being raped during the genocide. As the genocide s anniversary is to be marked tomorrow, several groups demand free medical aid for Rwanda s still su
Due to customary laws, thousands of AIDS widows throughout Africa are denied an inheritance, which leaves them homeless and destitute. Today, on Women s Day, a coalition of women s groups urges the African Commission on Human Rights to urgently address the growing problem. - On International Women s Day, we call upon t
The US-based group Human Rights Watch accuses the South African ANC government of inaction and misinformation, thus undermining its own programme to help rape victims avoid HIV infection by providing antiretroviral drugs. The government is putting lives at risk amid a dual epidemic of sexual violence and HIV/AIDS, the
The government of Malawi is building measures into all facets of public policy against HIV/AIDS in an effort to stem the spread of the virus and improve treatment and care for the estimated 14 percent of its population living with the deadly disease. A national policy Malawi s President Bakili Muluzi launched earlier t
Swaziland s Prime Minister Themba Dlamini has declared that the country is in a state of national disaster due to the effects of drought, hailstorms and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Critics say the declaration comes late as about a quarter of the population already is in need of food aid. Prime Minister Dlamini yesterday at
South African Vice President Jacob Zuma says that the HIV infection rate among young South Africans has declined from 22 to 15 percent during the last years. This was the result of an increased levels of awareness on HIV and AIDS among youths, he said. Vice President Zuma yesterday spoke to the National Council of Prov
A growing number of researchers question the official inflated numbers of HIV/AIDS prevalence in African countries such as Botswana , South Africa and Lesotho . Poor testing, a special diagnosis of AIDS in Africa and erroneous computer-generated estimates by the UN had led to misleading numbers, they
Lesotho is currently faced with a double humanitarian crisis. The World Food Programme (WFP) speaks of a total failure of this year s agricultural season, and, according to official government figures, the HIV prevalence rate among adult Basotho has reached 31 percent. As the situation in the small mountain kingdom o
AIDS treatment campaigners in South Africa are expressing grave concern at a government decision to reduce the treatment budget for the rest of the financial year by an alleged two-thirds. The reports caused outrage and frustration and were seen as a severe setback from recent gains. AIDS activists from the advocac
A growing number of researchers question the official inflated numbers of HIV/AIDS prevalence in African countries such as Botswana , South Africa and Lesotho . Poor testing, a special diagnosis of AIDS in Africa and erroneous computer-generated estimates by the UN had led to misleading numbers, they
An estimated 9 percent of adults in Rwanda are living with HIV/AIDS, according to UN figures. The Rwandan Red Cross is now implementing a series of HIV/AIDS programmes with support among others, of the British Red Cross, to lessen the isolation that many feel. Misara Mukamutara is 44 but looks 30 years older. She is in
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